The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub

First topic message reminder :

Welcome to the Virtual Rugby Pub - a place where you can come in for a sly beverage and discuss whatever's on your mind, or just eavesdrop on the regulars if you fancy a break from all the rugby chat.

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no defacing picture of newly crowned IRB World Player of the year Thierry Dusautoir.


So pull up a chair....what'll it be?



Last Pub: https://www.606v2.com/t17793-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub

"Older people who drink heavily don't necessarily have to fear dying of liver disease, a researcher said here.

In a population-based Dutch study, only a handful of heavy drinkers in an older cohort died of liver-related causes, according to Jeoffrey Schouten, MD, of Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The major causes of death were cardiovascular disease and cancer, but not hepatocellular carcinoma, Schouten reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

On the other hand, the study confirmed previous studies that suggest light and moderate drinking is protective, Schouten said."

Gib, don't give up the sauce

Merde, just remembered it's one of my best mates from Uni's birthday today, need to get myself to a card shop and postbox sharpish after work!

Until then though, back to work

A good read from the Ulster Rugby website.

Rising Star: Craig Gilroy

It's been just over 12 months since Craig Gilroy burst onto the Ulster scene in emphatic fashion, versus the Cardiff Blues at the Cardiff City Stadium last November...

It was a memorable occasion for the Bangor teenager, not just because he was making his first senior Ulster appearance, but also because he scored two tries in Ulster’s 15-37 victory over the Blues.
“We flew over to Cardiff on the morning of the match so there wasn’t a lot of time to think too much about what lay ahead,”he says, when recalling how he felt on the eve of his debut. Ian Humphreys, who was playing at 10 that day made me feel very comfortable going into to the game – he talked me through everything really well and made me feel relaxed and confident.”

One of five children, Gilroy attended Methodist College in Belfast. He played a little bit of rugby growing up but certainly wasn’t rugby-mad: “I played from mini level through school but to be honest, it was for a bit of fun and I didn’t really know much about the rules.”

He enjoyed all sports, playing rugby on a Saturday morning for school, football in the afternoon for Bangor Swifts and Gaelic football at Holywood on a Sunday. He credits his parents with giving him the chance to have a go at everything: “My parents drove me to everything, mum washed all the kit... still does sometimes!”

Somewhat surprising given his pace, he played in the pack until he was 16 and began taking the rugby a bit more seriously once he got to Schools; Cup stage at Methody and made the switch to the wing.

He featured for Methody in two Ulster Schools’ Cup campaigns and after Methody were beaten finalists by Brian McLaughlin’s Inst, in his final year of school, Craig began playing for his local club, Bangor, on a Saturday afternoon.

He’d planned to take a gap year and do some traveling but Bangor Coach Justin Fitzpatrick convinced him to stay for another year. “Fitzy persuaded me to stay and come to Dungannon with him where he was taking over as Head Coach and so I decided to stay and started a university course at Jordanstown. I trained really hard and went from the 2nds to the 1sts, got selected for Ulster U19s and then Ulster U20s and the Ravens.”

Ahead of the start of his second year of university, Gilroy was awarded a place in Ulster’s Phoenix Academy. It was also his U20s year and given his involvement with the Irish Squad and the travel and training camps which would take him away from study, he decided to leave his course.

“I just wanted to concentrate on rugby. I know that it would become clear fairly soon whether or not it was going to work out for me as a career and I could always go back to studying. And thankfully, it paid off. I felt I was making big improvements and in November last year, I got my chance for Ulster against Cardiff.

He has no doubts about his career highlights to date: “My first Ulster cap was a special moment and then getting on against Northampton in the Heineken Cup quarter final and playing with and against some of the world’s best players is right up there.Obviously the goal is to eventually play for Ireland, but most important right now is concentrating on Ulster.”

Away from rugby he’s currently taking guitar lessons with team mates Pedrie Wannenburg and Robbie Diack but with just four lessons under the belt he confesses they’re not ready for the stage just yet. In addition, he’s almost completed a course that qualifies him as a personal trainer, though mum and dad are applying some pressure regarding a return to study and he’s keen to begin a part-time course, probably business orientated.

I'm really surprised Gilroy played in the pack. He is a scrawny fecker! Getting Aviva Fever ahead of tonight!

Thom will you be there tonight? Pretty well a foregone conclusion.

Rava wrote:I played through school but to be honest, it was for a bit of fun and I didn’t really know much about the rules.”

Sounds like most Ulster fans

red_stag wrote:

Rava wrote:I played through school but to be honest, it was for a bit of fun and I didn’t really know much about the rules.”

Sounds like most Ulster fans

Oh I don't know Stag, most fans know the rules much better than referees. Well at least they keep reminding the refs when they make mistakes

Yeah I will be. Will be a party like atmosphere but sure it will give Ireland a lift.

I suspect a good old fashioned Trap style 0-0

I think we should get rid of him.

Yea I agree Thomond. Last week did not go according to plan for him.

He got lucky. He is not utilising the talent he has at his disposal. Particularly guys in the U-21 team like Robbie Brady and Conor Clifford. Let's not forget Dave Meyler and Wes Hoolahan.

red_stag wrote:Yea I agree Thomond. Last week did not go according to plan for him.

I'm not being sarcastic Thomond. I agree with you.

I'd like to see Ireland use the 4-2-3-1 tactic more - the best system out there at the minute.

Last week struck my as a player revolution. England Rugby Team did it in 2007, France Rugby Team did it ahead of the 2011 RWC Final, Ireland Soccer Team did it ahead of their Euro 2012 Playoff

An interesting article after the cigarette-end conversation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15738159

Good luck to her. Hope she likes jail.

This is a case of a smoker looking for special treatment. Makes no difference if it was a crisp wrapper or a pile of rubbish or a cigerette butt. She littered.

Pay up.

Lucky - got no sympathy for her own stupidity. She could've taken an ashtray outside with her or put the fag out on the wall and put the butt in a bin inside. She should've paid the £75 imposed to start with. If she knew the damage that going to prison and having a criminal record can do, I wonder if she'd reconsider?

Dope. She’s expecting special treatment, I’d be ashamed if I got fined for that, too ashamed to argue with it.

Afternoon all,

I come a-begging.

Somehow between our journeys to Monaghan, South Dublin and Derry at the weekend we managed to forget to record the match. I blame the jet lag.



If any kind person out there recorded it and has the equipment, time and heart to make us a copy I would be for ever in your debt.

I don't agree it's a case of a smoker looking for special treatment, Stag. She strikes me as a woman who would fight the fine whatever she'd dropped on the road - one of those people who litter all the time and genuinely don't care. She's trying to make out that she's being victimised for smoking but the fine is for littering, not smoking.

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/leinster-rugby-hit-back-at-claims-of-subliminal-exploitation-of-dublin-gaa-fans-279683-Nov2011/

*Edit

Embarrassing...

Mickado - Huh? I assumed they shared the blue because you're all the same province and it's the colour of your region/province...like Munster and Cork share red.

Found this song browsing around YouTube. A beautifully strong song-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtisNolnpbc

Cari wrote:Mickado - Huh? I assumed they shared the blue because you're all the same province and it's the colour of your region/province...like Munster and Cork share red.

If you look at the actual provincial flags the colours are like this:

Leinster – Green background, gold harp
Munster – Blue background, 3 crowns
Ulster – Yellow background, red cross, red hand
Connacht – half blue, have white, half sword, haft bird type thing

See here:

Spoiler:

BUT Leinster have played in blue for years, Munster in red for years, Ulster in white and Connacht in green. FOR YEARS!

It just smacks of fear and it’s divisive for people who sit between two codes. It’s a bad move.

Plus, we play in a totally different shade of blue, even the HC jersey last year was different to the Dubs despite being a shade of “sky”.

Very annoying reading that…

Oh I see....well I've learnt something today. Meath play in green don't they? And Kerry...so the Dubs wouldn't like changing, and Leinster in green would just look...well, odd. No one should have to change, as you say the jerseys are different so it's not like they're easily confused.

Connacht can't have the black bird of prey cause that's copying the O's

Nobody is suggesting a jersey change, but the Dublin GAA council are suggesting (indirectly) that Leinster are encroaching on their brand by also being in blue.

It amounts to Dublin publicly saying that they’re losing market share to Leinster, which is possibly no surprise, but it’s a bit of a childish remark.

Well surely the difference in market share is due to the differences in the sports and their supporters? Not everyone is like you, and enjoys both sports, I'm sure there are supporters of one or the other, and none at all? Tis a silly remark to make by the sounds of it...

Edit: I know they weren't suggesting a jersey change, but I was wondering what the alternatives would be? If there had to be a change at all.

I'm surprised to see Dublin make a fuss about this. They aren't in competition with Leinster - one's a summer game, one's a winter game.

If they had any sense they would each promote each other and come to a combined season ticket arrangement.

Ah but Stag, grass roots football and hurling are a winter gig. And the GAA have a real “bottom up” approach.

Anyway, if anyone ever reminisces for the 80’s and thinks they were great, have a look here, might change your mind…


http://www.flickr.com/photos/38301877@N05/sets/72157619206330728/

Oh that's blocked here Mickado...I'll have a look later. I quite like the '80s...

luckless_pedestrian wrote:Why on earth would you want to watch Munster v Ulster? Two anti-rugby teams waiting to see who snores first.

Look East Walian 10 man rugbyite, you wouldn't understand the blood and thunder of Ulster's brand of passionate rugby, OK?

Mickado wrote:Yes, all fair points stag, which is why smokers have to go outside. Totally fair enough. Every company has somewhere that a smoker can go, even if it's just outside the front door, so it's no extra effort to accomodate them, just leave an ashtray there and there's no litter.

The reason i bring up obesity is only because non smokers sometimes lecture people about the harm their doing to themselves.

When Mrs G was expecting she went unto Singleton Hospital for a few weeks. It never ceased to amaze me the amount of young mothers and mothers to be I'd pass outside the front door smoking at any time of day o'r night. Then again it wasn't that amazing, I was in Swansea. What swung the decision to ask to be transferred to Glangwili was a) Singleton is the wrong side of the Llwchwr and more importantly b) they put Mrs G in a ward where they had put one lady who had a miscarriage in a bed next to another who'd had an abortion. If they didn't have the brain power to work out that was just wrong, what other man sausage ups were they capable of?

Well with it being a maternity ward, you'd expect there'd been a lot of c0ck ups

WHy would there be someone who had an abortion in a maternity hospital?

PenfroPete wrote:

hughie1986 wrote: 29 year old blonde actually

- didn't know Labradors could live that long

http://www.britishblondesociety.co.uk/

red_stag wrote:

Rava wrote:I played through school but to be honest, it was for a bit of fun and I didn’t really know much about the rules.”

Sounds like most Ulster fans

There is always an exception to prove the rule

Glas a du wrote:

luckless_pedestrian wrote:Why on earth would you want to watch Munster v Ulster? Two anti-rugby teams waiting to see who snores first.

Look East Walian 10 man rugbyite, you wouldn't understand the blood and thunder of Ulster's brand of passionate rugby, OK?

This coming from a 15-man-rugby, run-it-from everywhere-even-if-it-means-horizontally-or-backwards sospan-basher!

luckless_pedestrian wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

luckless_pedestrian wrote:Why on earth would you want to watch Munster v Ulster? Two anti-rugby teams waiting to see who snores first.

Look East Walian 10 man rugbyite, you wouldn't understand the blood and thunder of Ulster's brand of passionate rugby, OK?

This coming from a 15-man-rugby, run-it-from everywhere-even-if-it-means-horizontally-or-backwards sospan-basher!

red_stag wrote:I'm not being sarcastic Thomond. I agree with you.

I'd like to see Ireland use the 4-2-3-1 tactic more - the best system out there at the minute.

Last week struck my as a player revolution. England Rugby Team did it in 2007, France Rugby Team did it ahead of the 2011 RWC Final, Ireland Soccer Team did it ahead of their Euro 2012 Playoff

The 09 England players revolution was directly responsible for the 2011 WC debacle.

I assume you mean 2007 revolution Glas but that pedantic detail aside why you say that?

Glas a du wrote:

PenfroPete wrote:

hughie1986 wrote: 29 year old blonde actually

- didn't know Labradors could live that long

http://www.britishblondesociety.co.uk/

Absolute let down

Cari wrote:Lucky - got no sympathy for her own stupidity. She could've taken an ashtray outside with her or put the fag out on the wall and put the butt in a bin inside. She should've paid the £75 imposed to start with. If she knew the damage that going to prison and having a criminal record can do, I wonder if she'd reconsider?

Not being a snob (honestly ) but I doubt that is of any concern for her.

Mickado wrote:Ah but Stag, grass roots football and hurling are a winter gig. And the GAA have a real “bottom up” approach.

Anyway, if anyone ever reminisces for the 80’s and thinks they were great, have a look here, might change your mind…


http://www.flickr.com/photos/38301877@N05/sets/72157619206330728/

It's the Argos Flip catalogue! What do you expect?

red_stag wrote:I assume you mean 2007 revolution Glas but that pedantic detail aside why you say that?

No, no 2009. Foden and Armitage insisting that Johnson allow them to run the ball more, play a more open gameplan. He agrees, initially it seems to help but his authority is fatally undermined. The players gradually lose respect for him to the extent that they are a lore unto themselves and uncontrollable in New Zealand.

hughie1986 wrote:

Glas a du wrote:

PenfroPete wrote:

hughie1986 wrote: 29 year old blonde actually

- didn't know Labradors could live that long

http://www.britishblondesociety.co.uk/

Absolute let down

Each to his own!

Lucky never mind sospan bashing, are you coming to see some Dragon bashing on the 25th?

The 8 terrace tickets for the clash of the titans on the 10th December have arrived in the post

£17 each. We can settle up then :thumbsup;

Fancy a nice trip? Aurora Borealis looks beautiful from Space. Our Planet looks cool lit up.
http://vimeo.com/32001208

Let me have a think about the match on the 25th, Glas - I'll have to do some sums to see how much money I'll have to spare what with the Heino / Amlin weekend wingding.